Rana Sanaullah acquitted in 15kg heroin recovery case
Judge rules prosecution failed to prove case against PML-N leaders: Two key witnesses also stated that drug recovery was not made in their presence
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A special court in Lahore on Saturday acquitted Interior Minister and senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah in 15kg heroin recovery case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The special judge court threw out the case against Rana Sanaullah which was filed during the PTI government’s tenure.
Special Court Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against the minister.
The judge further maintained that the two key witnesses – AD Imtiaz Cheema and Inspector Ahsan Azam – had stated that the heroin was not recovered in their presence.
The judge then announced the acquittal of Rana Sanaullah.
Rana Sanaullah was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) Lahore team in July 2019 while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore near the Ravi Toll Plaza on the Motorway.
The ANF had claimed to have seized 15 kilograms of heroin from his car. A special team of the force had also arrested five others, including the driver and security guards of the PML-N leader.
He was twice denied bail by the trial court, however, the Lahore High Court ordered his release on December 24, 2019.
According to the first information report registered by the ANF, the force had received information that Rana Sanaullah was allegedly involved in drugs trafficking and was taking heroin to Lahore.
In his plea filed today (Saturday), Rana Sanaullah argued that the case against him was “concocted, devised and fabricated”.
The plea further read “The prosecution remained unable to bring an iota of evidence against the petitioners/accused and the entire judicial file is also silent about any incriminating piece of evidence against the petitioner.”
The interior minister further contended in his petition that the case was the consequence of “political victimisation”, as he also referred to a statement of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, saying “The ex-minister had categorically stated that this case was not lodged on the asking of lmran Khan’s government and it was lodged by some influential personalities of the country.”
Rana Sanaullah requested the court to acquit him of the charge “in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”.
Reporter Shaheen Attique